Business License Filings Fall 8 Percent in Second Quarter

By Jennifer Johnson Backer

The number of business licenses filed with the Shelby County Clerk’s office slumped 7.7 percent to 1,290 in the second quarter, compared with 1,397 in the second quarter of 2012, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

Overton Square has seen some recent business license activity, including The Attic. Owner Alexandra Rushing signed a lease at 2121 Madison Ave. for 1,300 square feet.

(Daily News File/Lance Murphey)

The number of filings in which the applicant is a Tennessee resident also dropped 6.9 percent to 1,223 permits filed during the three-month period ended June 30, compared with 1,313 filed during the same year-earlier period.

Proprietors planning to do business in Shelby County can file from any location. Filings by non-residents fell to 67 permits issued in the second quarter to residents of 19 other states, compared with 84 nonresident filings from 26 other states during the same period last year.

In the second quarter, Hickory Hill North’s 38115 ZIP led the way for the Shelby County communities with the most business licenses issued, at 72, followed by Oakhaven/Parkway Village’s 38118 at 68, and Bartlett’s 38134 with 63.

For the same period last year, Hickory Hill North’s 38115 ZIP also led the way with 76 business permits issued, followed by Oakhaven/Parkway Village’s 38118 with 69 permits, and Whitehaven’s 38116 ZIP with 66 permits issued.

Corporate charters in the second quarter declined 11.4 percent to 421, compared with the same period last year, when 475 corporate charters were issued. The majority of those –229 – were limited liability companies, down 9.5 percent from last year’s 253 LLC filings.

Business permits were sought for a wide range of businesses, including photography, restaurants, beauty salons, home improvement, day cares, tree and landscape services, cleaning and janitorial services, and painters.

One notable business license filing in the second quarter was that of The Attic at Overton Square, next door to Bar Louie. Alexandra Rushing, owner of the Harbor Town boutique The Ivory Closet, has signed a lease at 2121 Madison Ave. for 1,300 square feet.

The retail boutique will carry both men’s and women’s clothing and accessories from brands like Library of Flowers, Lucky Feather and Chilly Jilly.

Popular local coffee shop, restaurant and pastry shop Cafe Eclectic also filed a business license to open its third location at The Stratum on Highland, at 510 S. Highland St. The newest version of the local eatery occupies 2,500 square feet of The Stratum’s ground floor retail space. The newest Cafe Eclectic serves everything from French toast to salads. The coffee shop serves Illy coffee, a premium brand produced in Trieste, Italy.

Restaurant Technologies Inc, a Minneapolis-based frying-oil delivery, management, removal and equipment service firm, also filed for a business license to open a Memphis-based location.

The oil depot at 3930 Willow Lake Blvd. will support 65 customers in Western Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas, Northern Mississippi and Southern Missouri. It will also supply and service more than 80 new installations in the next four months, according to the company. Restaurants including, McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Carrabba’s, Applebee’s and Chili’s use RTI’s services.

Year to date, the drop-off in business license activity was about the same. For the six-month period ended June 30, the number of business licenses filed declined 7.5 percent to 2,705, compared with 2,925 during the same period last year.

And for the six-month period ended June 30, the number of filings in which the applicant also is a Tennessee resident fell 7.5 percent to 2,561, compared with 2,769 a year earlier.